1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of refrigerators and, more particularly, to the making of ice in a fresh food compartment of a refrigerator and transferring of the ice to an ice storage bin for subsequent, selective delivery to an ice dispenser.
2. Description of the Related Art
Automatic ice making systems for use in a home refrigerator are well known. Typically, home refrigerators will have both a fresh food compartment that is kept at a temperature above the freezing temperature of water, and a freezer compartment that is kept at a temperature below the freezing temperature of water. Since more energy must be used to maintain the temperature of the freezer compartment, the freezer compartment is often smaller than the fresh food compartment and space therein is relatively more valuable. Although the arrangement of such compartments varies from one refrigerator to another, the freezer compartment is usually either located above or below the fresh food compartment or the compartments are in a side-by-side arrangement. A wall, commonly called a mullion, usually separates the fresh food and freezer compartments and each compartment is provided with a separate door.
Refrigerators of these types are often provided with an ice making system. A typical ice making system includes an icemaker mounted within the freezer compartment of the refrigerator and an ice storage receptacle or bin supported beneath the icemaker for receiving the formed ice from the icemaker. The icemaker is commonly mounted within the freezer compartment adjacent the side or rear wall of the freezer compartment such that water and power can be conveniently supplied to the icemaker. The ice storage bin is supported by a shelf structure beneath the icemaker within the freezer compartment. Such icemakers usually have a metal mold that makes six to ten ice cubes at a time. A device is provided to harvest the ice so that the ice is transferred to the storage bin.
Often, the ice produced in conventional icemakers is dispensed through the freezer door via an ice transfer mechanism in the form of a chute that extends from the ice storage bin to a dispenser located in the freezer door. As such, the ice will start in the icemaker, drop from the icemaker into the storage bin located just beneath the icemaker, then be pushed through the storage bin, typically by a rotating auger, to the ice transfer mechanism in the form of a chute where the ice slides to the dispenser and then passes to a cup or other container for eventual use. A cold water dispenser is also usually provided adjacent the ice dispenser. More specifically, water is stored in a container in the fresh food compartment and travels, when needed, through a conduit to the dispenser located in the freezer door. This type of system is shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,102,672.
While the above-described ice making arrangements are effective, the process by which they produce ice usually produces cloudy or “white” ice. Furthermore, the icemakers and storage bins take up valuable freezer space, which could be used for storing food. The present invention addresses the need in the art for an ice making system that produces better quality ice at a fast rate, while enhancing freezer compartment storage space through relocation of the icemaker. In addition, the invention further addressing potential problems associated with transferring ice from the relocated icemaker to both an ice storage bin and a dispenser located in one of the refrigerator doors.